A smiling face constitutes to half of the ingredients in this dish as the kitchen fills your nose with the inviting aroma of peppercorns, chives and cloves. Bring out the finest cutlery...

...and add some fresh flowers to the table to make this meal even more special. Then sit back in the chair and wait…and wait….your patience will certainly be rewarded as the wafts of fragrant aromas become even stronger with each passing minute. Then as fork meets mouth you will instantly melt into the moment…Mmmmmmm

METHOD:
Melt the soya vegetable spread in a saucepan and gently sauté the garlic, onion, carrots and leeks for four minutes whilst stirring to prevent the ingredients from sticking.

Pour in the lentils and cook for a further two minutes as you continue to stir.

Pour in the water and add the bay leaf, peppercorns and cloves.

Bring the ingredients to the boil, place a lid on the pan and simmer gently for 30 minutes or until the lentils are tender but still have a little bite. Add more liquid if the mixture starts to dry up.

Take out the bay leaf and cloves and transfer the mixture to a warm serving dish.

Take one and a half tablespoons of chives and mix them into half of the soya cream, then whirl in the lentils.

Use the other half of the cream to swirl over the top and finish off with a sprinkling of the remaining chives.

Alpro is the European pioneer in the development of mainstream soya-based food and drinks. For over 30 years, we have been championing a healthier, more sustainable way of producing tasty products that conserve the soya beans' unique nutritional value.